Rogers City Track team gears up for regionals with strong performances
by Angie Asam, Staff Writer
With regional competition and a chance to qualify for the state finals set for this Saturday in Bellaire, the Rogers City High School track team ran at two large meets this week working to peak at the right time. Monday the Hurons were at the Central Lake Invitational, which featured 18 teams. The girls? team took 11th place on the day despite some great individual performances. Senior distance runner Kaylee Kreft continued to shine for the Hurons as she placed third in both the two-mile (12:28.40) and mile (5:39.50).
Leilani Kortman placed fifth in the 100-meter hurdles (16.30), seventh in the long jump (13? 2 ??) and ninth in the 300-meter hurdles (55.40). Heather Luetzow was sixth in both the 200 and 400-meter runs with times of 28.28 and 1:04.00 respectively. Sierra Centala was ninth in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:49.50 and 13th in the long jump at 11? 8 ??. Amanda Krajniak was tenth in the 100-meter dash at 15.00. The 400-meter relay team of Christina Dehring, Krajniak, Kara Randolph and Kelly Vogelheim ran a 1:04.00 for eighth place while the mile relay team of Centala, Kortman, Luetzow and Amanda Smolinski was ninth at 4:48.90.
The Huron boys? team placed 16th at the meet but saw senior Brandon Haneckow win the high jump event as he cleared 5? 10?. Haneckow also placed 14th in the shot put with a throw of 34? 5?. Evan Wagner was fourth in the high jump at 5? 8? and eighth in the long jump at 15? 8?. Ryan Romel took fourth place in the 100-meter dash at 11.91.
Reese Schmucker was fifth in the discus at 107? 7? and seventh in the shot put at 36? 10?. Aaron Wilbert was sixth in the two-mile with a time of 11:12.70 while teammate Joey Sobeck was seventh at 11:13.50. Sobeck was eighth in the mile at 5:14.50. Zak McLennan took seventh in the mile at 5:06.10. Justin LaLonde was seventh in the 300-meter hurdles at 47.59 and Brian Hamilton was 12th in the 100-meter dash (12.63) and 13th in the 200-meter dash (26.47).
The mile relay team of Vogelheim, David Lewandowski, LaLonde and Vinny Szczerowski was seventh at 4:21.70. FRIDAY AT THE MANTON invitational both teams placed 11th out of 15 teams. For the girls, Luetzow was second in both the 400 and 200-meter races. Haneckow who was fourth in the high jump at 5? 10? led the boys? team. Wilbert and Sobeck finished ninth and tenth respectively in the mile.
The track team will be in Bellaire for regionals Saturday and will look to peak as they compete for the chance to compete in the state finals. Tuesday the Hurons will participate in the Straits Area Conference Tournament.